Drama teacher hits his mark with clever response to homophobic parent, get standing ovation from the internet

A 26-year-old drama teacher had two student’s withdrawn from his program after their mother texted him about his “lifestyle” and how it conflicts with her religion as a Christian.

Michael Neri runs the Talking Props Theater School in Kidderminster, England where kids of all ages can go for drama and theater lessons. He is currently running a production of Happy Days, and is working on the upcoming show RENT.

One of the most important lessons he teaches his students is confidence.

“I always preach to my students, ‘Be yourself, life would be boring if everyone was the same.’” he told Buzzfeed News.

So when he received the text message from the mother alerting him that she was removing two of the students from his classafter learning that he is gay, he felt had no choice but to take his own advice.

Neri posted the exchange on his Facebook and Twitter pages, garnering tonnes of support from online communities.

“The feedback has been overwhelming,” Neri said. “I put it online for my students and parents to see; I had no idea it would go viral! The love and support from my students and their families has been so humbling.”

Confetti party in Michael Neri’s honour!